Day 18: Death to Resurrection Life - Scene 2 (31-32)

HEART HEARING

Movements 31-32

(1:22:51-1:25:59)

Scene 2 - "His sacrificial death, His passage through Hell and Resurrection" 

31. Accompanied recitative (Soprano or Tenor)

He was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgressions of Thy people was He stricken. (Isaiah 53:8b)

32. Aria (Soprano or Tenor)

But Thou didst not leave His soul in hell; nor didst Thou suffer thy Holy One to see corruption. (Psalm 16:10; Acts 2:27)

This is a short scene that makes the quick transition from death to resurrection life!

MIND MEDITATION

Isaiah 53:8

I refer you to the "Behold the Lamb of God" post on Day 15 HERE for the historical background on Isaiah 53.

Isaiah 53:7 compares the Servant to a lamb. Just as the Passover lamb died for each Jewish household so that the angel of death could "pass over" their house when its blood was applied to the doorpost and lintels (Exodus 12:1-13), Isaiah 53:8 is that Servant dying for the nation of Israel. The first half of Isaiah 53:8 says, "By oppression and judgment, He was taken away." This is a prophecy of Jesus being arrested, sentenced, and taken to the crucifixion (John 18:12, 24; John 19:16). He was "cut off from the land of the living" (died) for the sins/transgression of His people (2 Corinthians 5:21). 

Psalm 16:10 

This is another psalm of David. It is quoted in Acts 2:27 by Peter to the Jews on the day of Pentecost explaining that Jesus' soul was not left in hell. This is called "Sheol" with the meaning being "between the ideas of the grave, the underworld and the state of death" (The New Bible Dictionary, p. 1092). It is a place for the righteous and the wicked. Obviously, His "Holy One" would not be destined to an eternity with the wicked! 

Peter, full of the Holy Ghost, sees in this sixteenth Psalm, one Holy Man, whose life of high devotedness and lofty spirituality is crowned with the assurance, that though He taste of death, He shall rise again without seeing corruption, and be admitted to the bliss of God’s immediate presence. Now as this was palpably untrue of David, it could be meant only of One other, even of Him whom David was taught to expect as the final Occupant of the throne of Israel . . . The Psalm is then affirmed to have had its only proper fulfilment in JESUS, of whose resurrection and ascension they were witnesses, while the glorious effusion of the Spirit by the hand of the ascended One, setting an infallible seal upon all, was even then witnessed by the thousands who stood listening to Him.  (Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (Ac 2:29) 

SOUL SEARCHING

Isn't it interesting that there were so many movements leading up to His death but only one movement devoted to His actual death? This is true in the Gospel according to Matthew also, one hundred twenty-four verses are of the last week of His life with only one verse devoted to the actual crucifixion (Matthew 27:50)!

The events leading up to His death were all in minor keys, but the music transitions at "He was cut off" into major and a joyous A major when the tenor sings, "But thou didst not leave." It is the transition from darkness to light! He is risen!!!

The good news is that we have made it through the agony of the crucifixion to the ecstasy of Jesus' resurrection from the dead! It is hard to think about His death if you are reading this during this joyous Christmas season, but His death leads to our life! That is truly something to be joyous about!

STRENGTH STRETCHING

Recall your own story out of darkness into light. Say it out loud as you talk to God and thank Him for those points where you knew He was there leading you out of the darkness. You might want to write it down. Then tell your story to someone else!